Republic of Cybertron
The war had ended and the neutral Cybertronians were sick of the badge-on-badge violence that plagued Iacon. The resultant was the Republic of Cybertron, a civilian government ruled by the popularly elected High Chancellor... Starscream? Uh oh.
Fiction
[edit]2005 IDW continuity
[edit]A civilian government had been in the works since Starscream joined Bumblebee's provisional government: he pushed for free elections, assuming he would win, Devisive and while it didn't turn out quite how he'd planned, a destructive plot by Megatron left the civilians sick and tired of fighting. Starscream promptly murdered the neutral leader Metalhawk, told everyone he had 'died in the fighting', and used this to call for a new, unified Cybertron where Autobot and Decepticon would not be allowed. This left Starscream in charge by popular decree and everyone too strong to fight him cast out. Heavy Is the Head
Very quickly, his new Republic of Cybertron fell into chaos. Blackouts plagued the devastated Iacon and the noble Scoop began to steal people's attention from Starscream (until he and his protégé Rattrap framed the hero), leaving the ruler aware that his leadership was hanging on a knife edge. Using a deep-space transmitter Scoop madeThree Monologues, Starscream was able to make contact with the long-lost Autobot ship Lost Light in the first official transmission from his new Republic of Cybertron. The Sound of Breaking Glass Within a day of the Republic's foundation, however, Shockwave's long-planned "Dark Cybertron" scheme kicked in and Iacon was left in ruins, the people traumatised, and Starscream close to losing support and power. While he just about held on, he was unable to stop the Autobots and Decepticons returning. Dark Cybertron The lost Titan Metroplex became the new city of the Republic and the newcomer Windblade, able to communicate with Metroplex, became a political player by default. A 'Bot and Her City
The Republic put Megatron on trial for war crimes soon after, with Optimus Prime as acting-Chief Justice and Starscream giving evidence. (By this point, he was calling himself "High Chancellor Starscream of the Refulgent Cybertronian Dynasty, Emperor Perpetua and Defender of the Realm".) Both Starscream and the Autobots grew in popularity for putting the hated Megatron not only on trial, but on a trial that followed the law. Unfortunately Megatron then used the law—namely, that Luna 2 (where the trial was held) had differing laws to the Republic—to get out via loophole. Towards Peace Words Hang in the Air Predestination: A Beginner's Guide
A series of unfortunate events A 'Bot and Her City and general Decepticon dissatisfaction would cause a number of people, mainly 'cons, to leave Metroplex in disgust and set up a shanty town, outside of the Republic's jurisdiction. High Chancellor or no, Starscream could expect to have stuff thrown at him there. The World of Tomorrow It also would have uncovered some shady activity by Starscream but Windblade helped him cover it up, so that the Republic would be around to unite the scattered Cybertronian colonies in the near future. Windblade vol. 1 #4
To ensure law enforcement that was truly neutral, Starscream created "the Badgeless": Transformers with their identities disguised by masks and armour to protect them against public aggression or being identified as a faction member. They definitely don't look sinister. Windblade vol. 1 #3
With combiner technology out in the wild and in the hands of known villains, Starscream asked Wheeljack to rebuild Superion so Cybertron would have its own gestalt. The World of Tomorrow
Optimus Prime had the quite difficult situation of not trusting Starscream an inch and not daring to let him have free reign while respecting that he was an elected leader. This came to a head when Cybertron made contact with the first colony, Caminus; Optimus grew concerned the plan was to conquer it rather than ally with it. He pushed Starscream to allow a council of representatives from each colony and for a new Cybertronian constitution. Starscream instead set up a false flag attack on Caminus First Contact so Cybertron could save it, only to find himself one-upped when it turned out the Camiens worshipped Prime as a living Prime. The Sum and Its Parts He quickly sought advantage by publicly announcing first contact and that Cybertron, who had once known the energon shortages blighting Caminus, would help their cousins and be helped in return. And oh yeah, that he was their governmental representative, him him him, and that Cybertron's "burgeoning democracy" could not be allowed to fall back to Prime worshipping mysticism. Caminus's representatives were bemused and their spiritual leader, the Mistress of Flame, could not quite grasp that a Prime was allowing someone else to speak for the planet or that a Prime thought the will of the people was paramount. Prowl, meanwhile, was freaking out that the Republic was on the verge of becoming a new Decepticon Empire with its space bridge.
In front of the media, Prime repeated the need for Cybertron and all the colonies to combine into an interplanetary council where all had an equal voice just like you explained eh Starscream? Backed into a corner, he agreed. The Possible Light In private, the first meeting fell into problems over how the Council of Worlds would be governed when Windblade and Starscream were the only two representatives so far. The suggestion of Prime as a tiebreaker was seen as unacceptable because (due to his sacred nature to Camiens) that would give him two votes and turn Cybertron into "a backdoor Primacy"; Windblade found the idea of Starscream/Cybertron having "a final say in all things" equally unacceptable as it'd result in a dictatorship of its own. The arrival of a Prowl-controlled Devastator on Caminus interrupted things. The first Council of Worlds decision was a compromise over Prowl, in which he would be imprisoned on Caminus before facing trial for crimes under both planet's laws. Starscream followed this up by agreeing to station a combiner on Caminus. Mistakes and Mayhem Though Swindle and Rattrap deliberately sparked another Decepticon riot and a combiner brawl, the democratic alliance between the two worlds held. All That Remains
With both Cybertron and Caminus members of the new Council of Worlds, Starscream and Windblade turned their attention to making contact with other lost Transformer colonies via Metroplex's space bridge, including Velocitron, Devisiun, Eukaris, and Carcer. After some adventuring and diplomatic wrangling, all four of these colonies agreed to join the Council and sent delegates to Cybertron to speak on their behalf. Race Against the Light Windblade vol. 2 #6 The Will of the Few
Notes
[edit]- While given its official name in More than Meets the Eye #21, characters pretty much always call it Cybertron.